Although it was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, Kia has never forgotten about its GT Concept. It made plenty of shockwaves upon debut and many have been hoping Kia would give it the production green light. It's taken a few years but according to a new report that's exactly what's been done. Edmunds is claiming that Kia executives have signed off on a production-spec four-door fastback model that'll likely hit US showrooms by the end of 2016. Its main targets will be the Audi A7, BMW 5 Series GT, and the Porsche Panamera.

As far as we know, it'll retain the concept's rear-wheel-drive setup but those suicide doors won't make production. Power is expected to come from a turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 paired to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. In Europe it'll be offered with diesel as well. Many elements of the concept's exterior styling will remain. So why did Kia take so long to get the GT Concept production ready? It was a matter of priorities as the K900 and Cadenza sedans came first. Kia knows the production GT will very much be a niche model, but it's also meant to be a further sign to luxury brand competitors to keep their eyes on the up and coming South Korean brand.